Bay Area immigration advocates are preparing for a potential increase in federal immigration enforcement activity. This follows reports of over 100 arrests of farmworkers and other individuals in the Central Valley in recent days. These arrests, which have occurred since Monday, involved people heading to work or running errands in the San Joaquin Valley. Local officials in the Central Valley indicated that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents did not appear to have warrants or to be specifically targeting individuals with criminal backgrounds or final deportation orders during these operations.
While rapid response agencies in the Bay Area stated on Friday that they had not yet observed a verified increase in ICE activity, concerns are circulating that this pre-election surge could extend to Northern California, including communities within San Jose. Lourdes Martinez, co-director of the Alameda County Immigration Legal and Education Partnership, affirmed their network is "on the alert and preparing" for potential increased ICE activity or large-scale raids in their region, though specific details remain unverified. Milli Atkinson, director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Program at the San Francisco Bar Association, reported that her city is monitoring Central Valley activity but has not yet seen an uptick in arrests, noting only "just anxiety from the community."
In anticipation, legal professionals are preparing for the possibility of large-scale raids in the Bay Area. Outreach workers are also distributing an "Emergency Planning Checklist for Families" to help immigrant residents prepare should a family member be detained. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement indicating that they do not disclose or discuss law enforcement operations for reasons of operational security and officer safety. A spokesperson added that DHS enforces national laws daily across the country, including in California.
The United Farmworkers Foundation reported Wednesday that it believes the raids intensified on Tuesday and continued through the week. Some arrests reportedly took place near commercial centers, including Walmart, Vallarta Market, and Home Depot. State Senator Anna Caballero, whose district includes parts of Fresno and Merced, reported hearing of an estimated 60 arrests this week within the communities she represents. Elisa Rivera, a spokesperson for Senator Caballero, stated that with over 60 detainees, the facility in downtown Fresno was experiencing processing difficulties, and legal observers were having limited success gaining access. Senator Caballero also shared an account of a young person contacting her office after both parents were detained, unsure of how to proceed.
In Kerman, a city in Fresno County, Mayor Maria Pacheco confirmed that eight residents were detained between Wednesday and Thursday. Mayor Pacheco emphasized that these individuals have families, jobs, and lives in Kerman, stating her refusal to accept that residents should live in fear during their daily routines. She has been assisting affected families in locating relatives and securing legal assistance. Mayor Pacheco clarified that Kerman police do not collaborate with ICE on immigration enforcement, asserting that local officers serve residents and work to keep the community safe. She described four men detained while getting coffee and a sweet pastry on their way to work, questioning how such actions enhance safety and stating that "Fear is not public safety."
East Bay Representative Lateefah Simon issued a statement expressing that local elected leaders and community organizations would stand by their communities and continue to fully oppose the administration’s immigration enforcement actions, which she described as "unwanted, unwarranted, and illegal." Representative Simon suggested these actions are an attempt to "intimidate, terrorize and tear apart immigrant families" ahead of the upcoming November 3 elections. She referenced earlier, unproven claims by Trump that DHS had identified over 250,000 non-U.S. citizens on voter rolls in four states, including California, which reignited fears about potential interference with vote counting. Representative Simon's office offers resources for immigrant communities to help them understand their rights and provides assistance with immigration casework, interpreting the enforcement actions as an effort to intimidate Latino citizens and discourage them from voting.